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Re-thinking church community

Understanding the fundamentals of how people naturally connect is a critical component of creating a healthy church community. Realizing the impact of cultural norms on the Christian life is also proving to be a serious challenge to American churches intent on helping create the space and time in most people's frenzied lives for meaningful relationships.

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Setting the Stage for Good Stewardship -- Use this in-depth guide to discover ways to increase tithing and maintain healthy finances at your church.

New Church Health Survey -- New, improved Church Health Survey debuts on Church Central.

FREE guide: 3 laws of buying church supplies -- Learn how to get the best deal for your church - every time!

Is your church struggling to get to the next level? -- The Society for Church Consulting offers a 5-level training program for pastors, consultants and lay leaders.

Planning for big success with small groups - free download -- This 9-page guide will help you learn how to manage small-group schedules, communication, tracking, evaluation, planning and more.

SermonCentral -- The world's leader in sermon resources and research.

Going Outside The Church Walls -- Get your outreach plan going! A successful outreach plan will impact your community. There are so many options for outreach - discover the right ones for your church using this free resource.

	Sunday School - Three signs that small groups aren't working Check out these three common problems plaguing many small group ministries and click on more resources to help.

	Fellowship - Five ways to welcome guests Welcoming guests is serious business, since it can influence the way people look at God and church for years to come. Church consultant and university professor Gary McIntosh suggests ways of reaching out to newcomers that will make them feel welcome and increase the chances that they will return.

	Fellowship - The art and science of creating a welcoming congregation Churches that smile, shake hands, and then expect new people to figure out how a congregation works, are sure to be disappointed in the number of visitors who return. Consultant, professor and author Gary McIntosh recommends churches take a proactive approach to hosting guests, using both the science and art of making people feel welcome.

	Leadership - Six reasons why a consultant is a good investment for your church Strategically minded churches and other ministry organizations are increasingly turning to ministry consultants to help them fill the knowledge and time gap for the many special situations that arise.

	Evangelism - How to prepare for back-to-school crowds Be prepared for new faces in your congregation with the start of a new school year this fall. Learn how to keep your church healthy with a healthy welcome for visitors and a priority on guests.

	Leadership - Why Use a Consultant for Strategic Planning? Consultant Aubrey Malphurs offers churches some sound advice on the costs and benefits of choosing and using a church consultant for strategic planning.

	Church Finances - Church must prioritize giving as discipleship Fully two-thirds of the forty or so parables attributed to Jesus concern the subject of money and possessions. All of this leads me to one of the most curious oddities of the church today. Why is it that the one subject about which Jesus spoke more than any other save the kingdom of God is the least discussed subject in the church today?

	Prayer - Praying evangelistically Regrettably, most churches pray far too little about evangelism. Somehow, we think we can reach non-believers in our own power, failing to realize that non-believers are held captive by a supernatural enemy (2 Cor. 4:3-4). If you want your church to be evangelistic, here is a simple plan to bathe the process in prayer.

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